LAHORE (UCAN): The governor of Punjab province, Pakistan, ordered the expedition of the construction of a 4.1-kilometre road from Sheikhupura district to Mariamabad village, the location of the Church of St. Mary and St. Joseph at the National Marian Shrine.
More than 1.2 million pilgrims visit Mariamabad and help the village’s economy each year. Th new master plan by the local government will boost it further.
The governor of Punjab, Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, also announced the installation of a filtration plant in Mariamabad at a cost of 66 million rupees ($3.18 million).
The master plan includes construction of rooms for visitors, provision of gas and addressing electricity cuts in Mariamabad.
Children showered rose petals on Sarwar and Ejaz Alam Augustine, Punjab’s minister of human rights and minorities affairs, who visited the shrine on January 11. Archbishop Sebastian Shaw of Lahore presented a turban, symbolising honour, to the governor.
“Fortunately, there are holy places of all religions in Pakistan, including Christians and Sikhs, from which we can earn US$4-5 billion ($31-38.7 billion) annually through the promotion of tourism. If the pilgrimage site has all the basic facilities for tourists, then the number of visitors will definitely increase,” Sarwar said.
Addressing the gathering, Sarwar urged the civic facilities be improved for Christian pilgrims and better accommodation provided for religious tourists.
“Fortunately, there are holy places of all religions in Pakistan, including Christians and Sikhs, from which we can earn US$4-5 billion ($31-38.7 billion) annually through the promotion of tourism. If the pilgrimage site has all the basic facilities for tourists, then the number of visitors will definitely increase,” Sarwar said.
“The protection of holy places of religious minorities is the responsibility of the government. Pakistan defends minority rights,” he said.
Since 2007, Punjab’s government has provided electronic gates and deployed more than 1,000 police officers to safeguard the shrine and its pilgrims.
Sarwar, who heads the religious tourism and heritage committee, is working for the renovation of holy places of all religions across the province to promote religious tourism.
In 2018, the visa-free Kartarpur (Village of God) Corridor was opened for Sikh pilgrims from neigbouring India to visit the famous Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur shrine by the River Ravi. Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister, attended the opening ceremony of the route crossing the India-Pakistan border.
The route provides direct access to the shrine which shrine is important to Sikhs because it is built on an historic site where Guru Nanak established a Sikh community in the wake of his missionary travels. Both Muslims and Sikhs revere the guru and perform rituals associated with their respective faiths to commemorate his passing.
Similarly, hundreds of thousands of Catholic and Muslim devotees join the Marian pilgrimage held every September on the feast of the Nativity of Mary. In keeping with tradition, thousands of Muslims express their personal devotion to Mary, whom the Qu’ran honours as the mother of Jesus, who they consider a prophet. Tents are erected for those staying in the compound.
In 1882, Bishop Emmanuel Won Dan Bush and a priest bought 150 acres of land from the attorney-general of India to establish Mariamabad.
Devotees and young people from all over Pakistan travel to the shrine on foot, by bicycle or in vehicles to queue for hours and pray at the Marian shrine for special favours. Many light candles or incense sticks, cover the statue of the Blessed Mother with embroidered dupattas (long scarfs) and silver crowns, dance to the beat of large drums and share testimonies as well as participate in healing prayers, singing hymns, sharing of testimonies and rosary recitations. The non-stop processions head towards a grotto that is a replica of the one in Lourdes, France.
Renovation of Christian sites was one of the main priorities of a July 2019 meeting of a delegation from the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference with Imran Khan. The Archdiocese of Lahore helped in drafting the government’s renovation plan for Mariamabad in 2020.
Archbishop Shaw briefed the government delegation in the parish house. He also thanked the governor for taking a personal interest in developing the shrine.
“We invited him last year but he could not visit due to coronavirus pandemic. The three-day national pilgrimage was also cancelled and caravans from all provinces were instructed not to come,” the archbishop said.
“This is a big gift for the local Church. Power cuts were a major challenge, especially during the pilgrimage. We offered a plan from Sargodha district road only four kilometers away. The shrine is the pride of Pakistan. We are trying to make it more beautiful and spiritual,” he said.
